Suspect Sent Threats From Inside Prison

Suspect Sent Threats From Inside Prison

HOLLIDAYSBURG, BLAIR COUNTY - Authorities say they have never seen anything quite like what 23 year-old Adam Hardin was allegedly able to do from inside the prison, but the more they learned about him, the more they understood it was a unique situation.

Police say Adam Hardin was able to break through the Blair County Prison's internet security twice.

He allegedly sent threatening emails on two separate occasions.

One directed at the Blair County Courthouse on October 23rd and another against the Hollidaysburg water supply on October 25th.

Police say Hardin wasn't supposed to have access to the internet on the prison library's computers, but the 23 year old was able to use some acquired skills.

“We believe that Mr. Hardin's training which he received from the National Guard and a local secondary school gave him the ability to manipulate the system,” Hollidaysburg Police Officer H.T. Fownes says.

Police estimate Hardin had more than 700 hours of computer training.

Blair County Commissioner Terry Tomassetti says the prison has already taken steps to upgrade their security.

“In a sense it's a very unusual situation but we moved very quickly to ensure that additionally levels of security and overlays were placed on that system and quite frankly it's up and being used already,” Blair County Commissioner Terry Tomassetti says.

Tomassetti says they've added three levels of additional protection at the prison and they will continue to work to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.

“It is a frustrating disappointing situation but when you're dealing with characters like this you have to adjust quickly and I think we did collectively,” Tomassetti says.

Hardin remains in the Blair County Prison after not paying able to pay his $250 thousand bail. His preliminary hearing on these charges is scheduled for next Tuesday

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